


One Call Away

by Not_So_Mundane_After_All_97



Category: Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: 2x09/10 AU, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:41:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25427842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_So_Mundane_After_All_97/pseuds/Not_So_Mundane_After_All_97
Summary: "Hey, Dick. I know we're not exactly on chatty terms, but Rachel went AWOL, before our flight to Chicago, so… I'm still in the city. I figure she'll turn up when she runs out of cash, but…I'm really starting to get worried. Just call me back, okay?"***What if timing was a little bit different and Dick got this call BEFORE the incident at the airport? Titans 2x09/10 AU.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Donna Troy, Dick Grayson & Rachel Roth, Dick Grayson & Raven
Comments: 9
Kudos: 74





	One Call Away

**Author's Note:**

> Did you honestly think I'm gonna vanish for long? Me? Who is not able to think about anyone or anything else 24/7?  
> I'm overworking myself probably, but do I care? NOPE.  
> SO HERE'S ANOTHER ONESHOT FOR YOU GUYS!  
> ...You must be sick of me already...  
> This idea haunts me every time I'm rewatching these episodes (and I do that a lot, because I miss this show). What would happen? What would he do? How would he react? There's so many moments in these episodes where one different decision, one different step could've changed so much. It blows my mind.  
> So enjoy this headcanon/theory of mine and let me know what you think!  
> Other oneshots are coming as well...

The line of people boarding the plane, though not too crowded, still moved at a snail's pace. Almost infuriatingly slow. And any other day he would've been annoyed by that. But since he had all the time in the world in his hands now, Dick didn't mind.

Greenland. The other side of the world. As far away from people as possible.

As far away from _them_ as possible.

If him casting himself away was the only way to keep them safe, then so be it. He can live like that. Slade Wilson might be a monster, but he's a man of his word. As long as Dick stays away, he won't go after any of them.

He tried very hard not to think about them, but his mind kept betraying him. He couldn't help but wonder what's gonna happen with them now.

Jason must be on his way to Gotham already. He and Bruce will sort their things out, he'll be back to being Robin, just like he wanted.

Rose… She'll either stay with Jason or go on her own, he couldn't be sure.

Hank and Dawn can come back to their old life now. They've managed just fine on their own in the past, they will do that again.

Gar should be alright once Kory comes back. She promised she would. She had her own issues to deal with, issues that came with getting her memories back. He couldn't stand in a way of that.

A spike of pain shot through his chest at the thought of Rachel. Her departure was the least expected one, but it was understandable. He had failed her one time too many and she drew the line. His only relief came from the fact that she was safe with Donna, on a plane to Chicago, with a chance to have a new, better life, to start over.

Donna. 

He didn't want to think about her. Because whenever he did all he saw was the look of utter disappointment in her eyes, mixed with burning rage. Over a decade of love, trust and loyalty gone, just like that. A candle flame blown by puff of air.

He had failed all of them. Screwed up so royally only sentencing himself to banishment could have a shot at fixing it. There was no going back from this.

As the line moved, a quiet buzzing of his phone reached his ear, causing him to roll his eyes and sigh. It's been ringing almost constantly since he came to the airport and he put it in the side pocket of his duffel bag just to get it out of sight. He let the call run its course and sighed again when a notification about another voicemail came in. He really didn't want to listen to that. Probably Kory came back to the Tower and now is trying to find out where the hell he went.

But on the other hand, this was his last chance at any sort of contact with any one of them. There's only three people left before he boards the plane and flies away on the other side of the planet. He didn't have to call back, just listen to the message.

Before he could change his mind Dick reached and pulled the device out, checking caller's ID. His eyebrows rose almost to his hairline when he saw Donna's name popping up on the screen. She was the last person he expected to call him, yet she's the one who's been trying to reach him for the past few hours. 

He really didn't feel like talking to her right now. The pain was still fresh, the wound still bleeding. And why would she want to talk to him anyway? To scream at him? Throw another bouquet of insults? Remind him of his failure again?

Unless… 

Unless it wasn't about her. 

His breath caught in his throat when he pressed the button and lifted the phone to his ear.

" _Hey, Dick. I know we're not exactly on chatty terms, but Rachel went AWOL, before our flight to Chicago, so… I'm still in the city. I figure she'll turn up when she runs out of cash, but…I'm really starting to get worried. Just call me back, okay?"_

Despite the boiling hot temperature outside, drops of sweat that rolled down his back were cold as ice. The floor started to feel like quicksand, slowly pulling him down. His heart hammered so loud in his chest he was sure everyone around him could hear it. And three words were stuck in his head, replaying over and over on a loop, like a broken record.

_Rachel went AWOL._

Fuck this.

He crumpled up his ticket in his fist before dropping it to his feet and ran out of the line, not giving a shit about people around him. He shot through the complex, stormed out of the front gate and reached his car in record time. He was going to ditch it here and lose the keys somewhere else, but now as the engine roared back to life he thank God he didn't do it. He drove out of the parking lot with a screech of tires and grabbing the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white as bones he set the course on San Francisco.

*******

First he went to visit his old friend Stu in his workshop. Slade could find out about him coming back any minute and once that happens, Deathstroke will be on his way. But Dick won't hide anymore. He won't let his guilt take better of him, his past mistakes define him. Those days need to be over. He had already lost everything - his humanity, his identity and his team, people who were like a family to him. But he's still going to protect them the best way he can. It's time to stop running away and actually face the consequences of his actions.

He needed a new suit.

Of course Bruce had thought about that already, so when Dick arrived, it was almost finished. Stu still put on a show, refusing to help him, petty that Dick burned his previous creation. But the suit was already done. And it was perfect. 

Now, as he glanced in the rear view mirror at the shiny new silver briefcase laying in the backseat, he couldn't help but grin like a little kid, excited to finally get his hands on his new toy.

Unfortunately his excitement was short lived, because once he was out on the highway, he immediately called Donna back, and the nerves returned.

" _Dick, finally-"_

"What the hell happened?" he growled, not letting her finish. He could barely keep his frustration at bay. Donna let out an equally frustrated sigh before speaking.

_"Our cab got stuck in the traffic. We… got into an argument and she just got out of the car and ran away."_

Dick clenched his jaw, feeling a mix of worry and anger bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

"Ran away? Then why didn't you go after her?"

He was met with silence on the other side of the line and for a moment he thought she hung up.

Then a quiet reply came.

_"She held me back with her powers."_

Right. One thing he didn't consider was the fact that Donna had little to no experience with Rachel's abilities. And considering how unsure, apologetic and almost embarrassed her voice sounded, he figured she was also afraid of it.

Dick let out a long, exasperated sigh, dragging his hand across his face. 

"Alright, keep searching. I'm on my way, should be there in two hours."

 _"Two hours?"_ she asked, surprised. _"Where are you?"_

"Doesn't matter." he answered shortly. He wasn't going to explain himself to her, not anymore. "I'll be there soon. Keep me updated." 

He ended the call without giving her a chance to respond and put his feet on the gas, pushing the car beyond its limits. Along with the speed rose his anger. He had trusted Donna to keep Rachel safe. After everything that happened he was certain she's gonna be way better at this than he ever was. Well, apparently not, 'cause she's been in charge of her for less than a day and she fucking lost her.

But Donna didn't know Rachel like he did. She didn't understand the way Rachel viewed the world around her and how deeply emotional that view was. She didn't realize how all of that was connected to the girl's powers and she had no idea how to respond to it. She would have been able to learn all those things over time, just like he did, if only Rachel had given her that chance. But she decided not to.

Part of him was angry at Rachel as well. Now he realized she never had any intention to actually go with Donna - it was a window to get out of the Tower, to run away not just from him but from all of them, from this whole mess he had brought her into. She used Donna as a way to escape because she knew he would never let her go otherwise. 

It was smart, he had to give her that. But also incredibly fucking reckless. What was she even thinking? That she's gonna run around the city until all the problems fade away? What happens when she runs out of money? Or her phone dies? A cold shiver ran down his spine when he thought about what could happen during the night. Rachel could protect herself just fine, he had made sure of that, but after all she was just a kid. A fourteen year old girl with magic powers that were constantly changing and wouldn't stay under control, alone, angry and hurt. Her emotions must be going highwire, thoughts running miles a minute…

He gripped the steering wheel tighter, anchoring himself and took a long deep breath.

 _Breathe_ , he told himself. _You'll find her. She's gonna be fine._

His mind suddenly went back to all the times he did the exact same thing as a kid and his anger at her lessened a little, replaced by understanding. He too, especially in the beginning, wanted to get away from this madness, to free himself from these fucked up people that were supposed to be his new family. He felt like they didn't understand him, didn't even care to try. 

Flashing back to recent events Dick realized this is exactly how Rachel must've felt this whole time. Her powers started acting out but he was too focused on the physical part of training to notice that. Then this whole mess with Deathstroke started and he completely shut her out. He kept her - all of them - in the dark for her own safety, but does that make it justified? No, not at all. She had been pushed to the side by him, cornered into thinking she wasn't important enough, strong enough, _good_ enough. And it drove her to run away, because she couldn't stand it anymore. 

All of that because of him.

His mind tossed another flashback at him. A series of flashbacks, actually. A compilation of every time Bruce gave him that _look_ , after he came back home from his numerous escapes. He always hated that look, because he'd read it as disappointment, but now as he was seeing it again in his mind, Dick realized it wasn't it. 

It was a mix of few different emotions, both good and bad, but all rooted in protectiveness. Now he recognized worry, fear and anxiety. A hint of anger, but tempered by a sense of relief. Happiness, but tinted with sadness.

Looking in the rear view mirror Dick noticed that while thinking of Rachel, he was wearing the exact same expression. And he finally started to understand Bruce, seeing that now he found himself on the other side of things. He chuckled to himself.

_Guess I owe you an apology, old man._

He checked the time. San Francisco was less than an hour away. So far Donna hasn't called, which meant she didn't find any sign of Rachel.

He sighed. He could only pray nothing bad happened. She had to be alright. There was no other option.

 _Please, Rach._ he thought, closing his eyes briefly. _Please, be okay._

  
  


*******

She was just about to call him when she noticed he texted her that he's already back in the city, so she quickly send him her whereabouts. Thankfully she didn't have to wait for long, 'cause his car pulled up in the alley less than fifteen minutes later and Donna let out a sigh of relief.

Which caught her by surprise.

After what happened at the Tower, after he told them the truth about Jericho, relief was the last thing she expected to feel upon seeing him again. Her anger was still there, burning hot and bright. She really didn't want to see, or speak to him, not for a very long time. Deep down she knew she wouldn't be able to cut him out of her life completely, but it very much felt like that back in the Tower. She needed space and time. A lot of time.

But this was an emergency situation, and Donna knew how deeply Dick cared about the girl. She didn't get to spend much time with them together, but she wasn't blind. 

And she remembered the way he spoke about her that first time, back at Donna's apartment in Chicago (which now felt like a whole lifetime ago), with this kind of genuine excitement she hadn't seen in him in years, and with… pride? And how his entire face lit up, eyes sparkling with joy and fondness when he told her about how they first met.

He was attached. Deeply and strongly. So he needed to know. He needed to be here. And he had the best chance of finding her.

Donna shook herself out of these thoughts and crossed her arms over her chest as she approached him when he started getting out of the car. She schooled her expression to look more stoic and neutral to not freak him out more than he already must be, but her efforts were cut short when a loud slam of the car door made her flinch and stop dead in her tracks. 

Dick was furious.

It was evident in the way his whole face was scrunched up - brows furrowed together so closely they became one, jaw clamped so tight it looked like it might break any second, brown eyes shooting lightning bolts wherever he glared. Or in the way his shoulders were hunched over, like an invisible weight was pressing him down and in his clenched fists pressed to his sides when he charged right at her like an angry bull.

"Tell me what you know." he demanded instantly, going straight to the point. Donna breathed a frustrated sigh before speaking. 

"I tracked Rachel down to a soup kitchen." she said, suddenly feeling nervous. "Look, she's not just missing. It's worse."

She gave him a sign to follow her and turned on her heels, trying to ignore the way his face drained of all the color. She went back deeper into the alley, with Dick close behind, where SFPD medical examiner and few officers were still working over a massacred body of a black man in his early 40s, laying in a puddle of blood and guts behind a dumpster, few of his limbs missing. Dick took in the crime scene, his skilled detective eye catching on details she had probably missed.

"He's been found last night." she explained. "The eye witness said she saw something looking a cloud of black smoke filled with razor blades crawling away from him."

He sucked in a sharp breath through his gritted teeth, then asked.

"And nothing about a kid with glowing red eyes and a crystal on her forehead?"

"No."

Dick bit his lower lip, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Fuck." he breathed out, more to himself than her. "It's worse than I thought."

He turned back and started walking away to his car. She had to run to keep up with his fast pace.

"Dick, wait-"

"How could you let this happen, Donna?!" he shouted suddenly, whipping around to look at her. He was so angry his face turned red, up to the tips of his ears. His eyes were fixed on her so intensely she almost cowered under his gaze. "How could you let her go away? I trusted you to keep her safe. I thought Chicago would be good for her, that _you_ would be good for her - better than I have ever been. And you managed to fucking lose her, after… what - an hour?"

"What was I supposed to do?" she found herself asking. "She fucking pinned me down to my seat with that black thing, I couldn't move. She was long gone when it finally disappeared."

Dick scoffed and shook his head.

"C'mon Donna, you're an Amazon, for fuck's sake! You couldn't move because it was holding you down or because you were afraid what it might do to you when you do?"

This time she looked away. Her lack of answer was all the confirmation he needed. He scoffed again, his next words reeking of venom.

"It's not so fun and games anymore when you're the one playing camp counselor, is it?"

It felt like a slap in the face, a painful one at that. And it immediately took her back to their conversation few days ago (hell, was it only few days?), in the Tower's kitchen. She had been so angry than he reopened this place, that he had brought the kids there without telling them about what happened. A willful amnesia, she'd called it. She was partially right, it did blow up in their faces eventually and Slade came knocking just like she expected, but the way Dick now threw her own words back at her and it stung made her see that maybe there was more to it than she realized.

 _It's not a summer camp_ , he shot back at her then. She had refused to see the true meaning behind those words, but now it was staring right at her face.

He had spent three whole months with those three teenagers after all, not just training them, but also teaching them, feeding them, investing time and money in their needs. Actually taking care of them. On his own. Not because he had to, or because someone told him to, but simply because Dick Grayson cared about these kids and wanted to do it.

All the while she was… doing what exactly? Hanging out with Kory and following crappy leads from Roy, because she didn't really have anything else to do.

Gods, she felt sick.

"Dick, I-" she started to say but he silenced her by raising his hand. 

"Let's focus on finding Rachel." he said, much more calmly this time. But his voice didn't leave room for argument. It was an order. "Get in the car."

*******

Donna said she already was in that soup kitchen, but Dick wanted to check for himself anyway. To be honest, he didn't really trust her right now. 

He approached the workers behind the counter, flashed his badge he was still carrying despite not officially working in the police department for months now and showed them the most recent picture of Rachel he had on his phone, asking questions. Donna kept her distance, scanning the area for any potential clues.

One lady recognized Rachel almost immediately.

"Yes, I remember her." she said, leaning in to look closer. "Very nice girl. She was here yesterday. She sat down with one of our regulars, a girl named Dani. They seemed to be around the same age and they hit it off right away. They chatted for a while, ate their dinner and took off together. Haven't seen them since."

"Do you have any idea where they went?"

The woman shrugged, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Probably to Dani's place, though I can't be sure. She lives with a group of friends in an abandoned house on Valencia Street, very easy to find. I suggest you start there."

Dick flashed her a grateful smile, hiding his phone back in his pocket.

"Thank you."

"And how does Dani look like?" Donna asked, coming closer.

"Brown eyes, short black curly hair. Light brown, tan skin. Around the same height as your Rachel. Usually dressed in oversized worn out hoodies and ripped jeans."

He quickly scribbled the details down in his pocket notebook and thanked the woman again before storming out of the door, with Donna right on his heels. 

He got in the car and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. His heart was pounding in his chest thousand miles an hour and he had to grip the steering wheel to keep his hands from shaking.

He was terrified.

Rachel's powers had been acting weirdly for a while now. He had noticed something over a month ago but she seemed to handle it just fine so he didn't push. And he hoped she would come to him if it ever gotten worse.

Unfortunately she didn't, because he made her feel like she couldn't. 

It was Gar who broke the news to him, right after they brought Jason home. The boy felt so guilty about what happened to Robin that he came clean about that too, even if it meant betraying his best friend. He had told him about everything, the scratches on her back, the attack on Jason, those bloody bite marks on his own wrist. The way he described what was happening with her sounded exactly like what the eyewitness had said. A black cloud of smoke filled with razor blades. Dick had promised him he would look into it, talk to her carefully to not scare her away, that they would take care of this. But then Deathstroke took his whole attention and before he knew it, the situation got out of control.

In a sudden wave of rage and frustration at himself, Dick hit the steering wheel with his right hand, mouthing a curse under his breath. He should've put everything aside and focus his entire attention on Rachel. He should've tried harder. He should've noticed it earlier. He should've…

He should have been better for her. 

But he fucked up. Again. And now she's out there somewhere, alone and scared, completely losing control over her powers. If the eyewitness only saw the smoke but not Rachel, it must mean that whatever it was it must've somehow detach itself from her. Maybe she's not even aware what is happening, which is even worse.

God, she must hate him now. He wouldn't blame her - he deserves it.

Donna sat down in the passenger seat, but remained silent. He felt her eyes on him, reading, studying him, so he took another deep breath and got himself together, then turned the car on and started driving.

*******

"Why didn't you stop her?"

As they were heading closer to Valencia Street, Donna finally got the courage to ask. This question has been nagging at her for a while now, bouncing around her brain, begging to be let out.

"What?" Dick asked back with a confused look painted over his features.

"When Rachel said she wanted to go with me." she explained further. "Why didn't you stop her? You could've just said no."

He pressed his lips into a thin line, eyes fixed firmly on the road ahead. 

"It wasn't my place to do that." he said eventually after a moment of silence. Donna crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why not? After all she's a minor who's been under your care for the past few months. Even if you don't have any official papers for it, making these kinds of decisions still belongs to you. You could have told her to stay. I was actually expecting you to do that, but you kept your mouth shut."

Dick let out a tired sigh and shot her a quick glance, shaking his head.

"She wouldn't have listened to me."

"Then you could've made her stay. Straight up forbid her from going-"

"Donna, I am not her-" he snapped at her but stopped himself from finishing that sentence. Yet Donna knew what he wanted to say. _Parent. I am not her parent._

Dick exhaled deeply, then continued with a new thought.

"After what happened I felt like I had no right to interfere. I lost that right. It was her decision and it wasn't my place to stand in a way of that. I fucked up enough."

Donna looked down at her hands folded on her lap, feeling a sharp pang shooting through her chest.

"You don't have to remind me."

The tension rose in the car and they both fell silent. They didn't even dare to look at each other.

"At least I was content with the fact that she wasn't going alone." he admitted after a while, taking a turn left and entering their destination street. "I was sure she's gonna be safe with you. I guess I was wrong."

Anger colored his voice again. He was still pissed at her, which was understandable. She had to be careful, she was stomping on thin ice right now.

"She would've been, I swear." she assured him. "But we got into a stupid fight and…"

She sighed in frustration, prodding her fingers at her pounding forehead. Could this day just end already?

"What was that fight even about?"

She looked at him and their eyes met, properly for the time since he showed up. Donna opened her mouth to answer him but closed them just as quickly, suddenly feeling incredibly stupid because in that moment, as she was going to say those words aloud she realized Rachel might have been right all along.

"She called me out on being a hypocrite." she admitted at last. "Said that we all took a part in what happened five years ago. We've all been there, we all should be responsible."

Dick kept staring at her, his eyes gleaming with something she couldn't quite read.

"She really said that?"

"Word for word."

A beat of silence.

"And what do you think about that?"

She held his gaze for one moment longer.

"I think she-" he eyes fell to the view behind him, alerting her immediately. She swiftly grabbed his hand. "Wait, stop the car. This is the building."

Dick's head whipped around as he hit the breaks, coming to stop and parking by the sidewalk. One of the buildings, cramped between nice looking houses of a middle class neighborhood looked a little worse for wear, with wooden windows, doors barely hanging on its hinges, missing pieces of a broken porch railing and paint falling over from every wall.

But what gave away that it was the house they were looking for was a giant black cloud of smoke slowly climbing up the west wall, making its way to a small window.

"She's here." Dick breathed out, already getting out of the car, but Donna stopped him, yanking his hand back.

"Dick, wait!" she said sternly, looking into his eyes. "We don't know what we might find in there. For all we know she might have lost control completely. She could be dangerous."

"Or she's hiding there, scared, not knowing what to do!" he hissed back. "I'm going in Donna, don't you fucking dare to stop me. You've done enough." 

A white burning rage enveloped her suddenly, making her vision go red. She jumped out of the car and ran up to him, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning him around.

"Oh, don't act all high and mighty right now!" she threw at him. "You're not a fucking saint, Dick. If you just told them the truth when you brought them here, instead of turning them into child soldiers working on need to know basis, she wouldn't be in this mess right now."

"I know I fucked up, okay?" he spat out at her. "At least I am trying to fix my mistakes instead of washing my hands and dropping the blame on someone else."

The allusion was too painfully clear. She staggered back a little.

"I wasn't- That wasn't what-"

"You think I wanted this to happen to her?" Dick continued like he hasn't hear her at all. "When I took her in, back in Detroit, I was terrified. And I am still terrified to this day. The last thing I want is for her to end up like Jericho. It's been too close to that too many times to count. I know I'm a lost cause, Donna. I destroy everything I touch. Part of me knew I was going to ruin her life the moment I laid eyes on her. But another part of me felt a connection. Because deep down we were the same. Still are. And before I knew it, I was in. I couldn't just leave her fate up to others. I cared too much. I still do. I care so fucking much about her it's killing me. So I'm going, with or without you. She might listen to me. Or she might kill me on the spot, I won't be surprised if she chooses the second option. But I don't care. As long as she's safe, I don't care."

His words left her speechless. She didn't expect such an outburst from him. Her anger instantly evaporated.

"Dick, I-"

"Are you Dick Grayson?"

Another voice interrupted them and they both turned towards the house, where a young girl stood on the porch, watching them carefully. Her appearance fitted the description of Rachel's new friend.

"Yes." he confirmed, taking a slow, calculated step towards her. "You're Dani, right? We're looking for Rachel."

The girl's eyes flickered between him and Donna, eyeing them suspiciously. She obviously didn't trust them.

"Pale skin, blue eyes, dark blue hair to her shoulders, a red crystal on her forehead?"

"Yes!" he nodded quickly, pulling out his phone and showing her a picture. "See? That's her. Is she here?"

Dani looked at the screen, then at him and nodded slowly.

"She's upstairs. Something happened with… that thing on her forehead, I guess. It's bad. She completely lost it. Doesn't let us come near her, saying she doesn't want to hurt us. And… she keeps calling your name."

Dick walked up closer to her.

"Can you take me to her?"

"Follow me." she said and disappeared behind the front door, Dick and Donna immediately running after her.

*******

The view they were met with was scary as hell and utterly heartbreaking.

Rachel sat curled up in the farthest corner of a makeshift bed, with her knees pulled up closely to her chest, trembling arms hugging them tightly. She swayed back and forth like a lunatic, her red glowing eyes staring blindly at nothing, while big crocodile tears streamed down her pale face. Clouds of black smoke circled around her, filling up almost entire room, like watch dogs guarding their queen. Donna instinctively took a step back, keeping her eyes out for any unexpected reactions. 

In the corner of her eye she noticed Dani quietly slipping downstairs, giving them much needed space and privacy. She watched her disappear in the shadows, then turned her attention back to Rachel.

Dick approached her slowly with his arms outstretched her way. Her head snapped up when he whispered her name and her eyes went round, whether in surprise or fear, Donna couldn't tell.

"No!" she screamed suddenly, making Dick stop. "Don't come any closer! I don't wanna hurt you."

"You won't hurt me, Rach." he told her gently, his eyes softening. "I know you won't."

He marched through the clouds with his back straight like they were nonexistent and that gave Donna the courage to step further into the room. She closed the door behind her and stood to the side, watching in absolute awe what was happening in front of her. 

Dick sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching out to the weeping girl. At first instinct she tried to back away, shaking her head frantically but he was adamant.

"It's okay, Rachel. It's me." he whispered, scooting closer. "I'm right here."

He laid his hand on her shoulder and pulled her in, gathering her in his arms. The girl crumbled completely and clung onto him desperately, digging her fingers into his shoulders so hard it must've hurt. His strong arms enveloped her shaking frame, scooping her up so now she was basically sitting in his lap.

"I'm losing control." she whimpered quietly into his shoulder, her words barely audible. "I- I don't know w-what to do."

Dick leaned away a little, but not too much - just enough to look at her face and cup her cheeks in his hands.

"Shh, it's gonna be okay." he said in a hushed tone, his thumbs brushing away her tears. His nose was mere inches from hers, almost touching it, his eyes completely focused on her. "We're gonna do this together, just like we practiced, alright? Step by step."

"Dick, I'm scared. I've tried already and it didn't work."

"This time it will." he soothed her. "I'm right here with you, okay? We'll do this together. C'mon."

He pulled her closer and pressed their foreheads together, his eyes never leaving hers. It was like magic to Donna, like she was transported to another world. She couldn't make herself look away.

"Breathe with me, Rachel." he instructed slowly, keeping his voice low and gentle. "Three seconds in, three seconds out. Just like we practiced."

He repeated the countdown few times, taking slow deep breaths and Rachel started following him, doing the same thing. At first her breathing was shallow and ragged but eventually deepened and evened out, coming back to normal. Her eyes stopped glowing, turning from bloody red to deep, vibrant blue. She was slowly but surely calming herself down, causing a proud smile to appear on Dick's face.

"That's right, just breathe. That's my girl." he gave her a quick kiss on her forehead before continuing. "Now bring it back in."

"But-"

"Trust me. You can do this. Slowly. Close your eyes and take back control. It's a part of you - it _must_ listen to you."

Rachel did as she was told again and squeezed her eyes shut in concentration. She moved her hands from Dick's back and wrapped her fingers around his wrists instead, anchoring herself. For a moment nothing happened, but then all the black clouds surrounding them started floating towards her, sinking into her back. Both Dick and Donna noticed that the cloud that has been trying to get in from the outside slipped through a crack in the window as well and melted with others, disappearing inside Rachel's body. 

"See? You did it." Dick told her, laughing quietly under his breath. Rachel smiled back at him.

"I did it."

But her smile quickly fell as her eyes went round, clouding with tears. Her hand shoot up to her lips to muffle a strangled sob that ripped out of her chest and she looked up at Dick, her gaze full of fear and despair.

"Oh God, that man-" She choked out, causing Dick and Donna to glance at each other. The body behind the dumpster. She remembered. "It was me. God- Dick, I didn't mean to. I- I didn't-"

She completely broke down, falling back into his arms. He held her closer, cradling the back of her head and started to rock her gently back and forth.

"Shh, I know. You had no idea…"

"I didn't know, I swear." She cried out into his shoulder. "He- he threatened to hurt Dani and her friends. I just wanted to scare him away. I- I didn't think it would follow him."

"It's alright, honey." he soothed her again, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "You just wanted to help. I get that."

Rachel sniffled and curled closer into him, hiding her face in his neck. But Donna could still hear the words that fell out of her mouth.

"I'm a monster."

"No, you're not." Dick said firmly, leaning away to look her in the eyes. "You have powers that you can't fully control yet and they got out of hand. You're still learning, it wasn't your fault. If there's someone to blame, it's me. I should have noticed and help you with it a long time ago, but I didn't. I'm sorry. And I don't ever want to hear you calling yourself that word again, got it?" 

She nodded slowly and held his gaze. They simply stared at each other for a long moment, lost in each other's eyes. Donna took one look at Dick's face and what she saw in there took her breath away.

His eyes were filled with deepest love and complete devotion. She had never seen him so open before, so vulnerable. It was like he was staring at his entire world, like nothing else around him mattered. She could read his feelings like an open book, they were written all over his face, and Donna smiled.

Paternal love, she realized. Deepest, strongest, purest form of it. 

Donna had her suspicions for a while now, but she knew better than to confront him, 'cause he would simply deny everything. But right now his face couldn't lie.

He wasn't just Rachel's friend, protector or guardian. Along the way he became her father, in every way but blood. He loved her like a father should, with his whole heart and soul, Donna could see that clearly. And considering the way Rachel was looking back at him, with just as much love and trust, she knew this feeling was mutual.

Suddenly the girl's face fell, her lips trembled and another wave of tears poured down her round cheeks.

"Dick, I'm so sorry." She sobbed. His face instantly twisted with worry.

"Rachel-"

"I'm sorry I left you." she cried out. "I'm sorry I ran away. I was so angry, I didn't know what to do. I shouldn't have- I'm sorry."

"Hey, no. Stop." he whispered, pulling her to him again. He tucked her head under his chin and Donna couldn't help but notice that Rachel fit there perfectly. "You have nothing to apologize for. I completely deserved it."

"But it wasn't fair. You were just trying to do the right thing and we left you. _I_ left you, after everything you've done for me… How could I-"

Her words turned into incoherent sobbing and she curled herself into him, clawing at his back. Dick kissed her head again and closed his eyes, letting his own tears fall as well.

"It's okay. Don't be sorry. All is forgiven, as long as you promise me you won't run away like that again." he let out a shaky breath. "You scared the hell out of me."

Rachel chuckled wetly into his collarbone. 

"I scared the hell out of myself." she lifted her head, looking up at him. "I promise I won't do it again."

Dick smiled and pressed his lips to her forehead again before pulling her back for another hug.

"Good."

They stayed like that for several minutes and Donna started to feel more and more like an intruder. She stood still, trying not to bring any attention to herself, giving them as much time and space as they needed. She knew she was witnessing something incredibly personal here, something very private and intimate, something that should be happening behind closed doors, away from prying eyes of others. But she couldn't make herself look away, no matter how hard she tried. Because the view was truly mesmerizing.

A father and daughter, locked in an embrace of love and safety, both letting each other know the other is okay and safe, by simply holding each other.

It made her think of her own father, of the happy days before the fire.

It made her think of Diana.

She almost burst into tears.

"I'm so tired." Rachel mumbled into Dick's shoulder. "Can we go home? Please, just take me home."

He squeezed her tighter, smiling into her hair. 

"We're going home, sweetheart, don't worry. I'm taking you home, okay?"

Donna felt her heart clenching. _Home_. The Tower. 

Dick pulled away and took her face in his hands. 

"We're gonna go home and you'll get some sleep, huh? You're exhausted, you need rest."

"But my room… Those crosses-"

"I know." he nodded. "I saw what happened. Don't worry, you're gonna stay with me tonight."

Her whole face lit up.

"Really?"

"Yeah." he confirmed, brushing her cheek. "You really think I'm gonna let you out of my sight? Not happening."

She laughed again, louder this time and now it was Dick's face that sparked with joy.

"Let's just go, please."

"Okay." he chuckled. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah, I think so."

They both slowly stood up, Dick keeping a firm hold on Rachel's shoulders. She staggered a little but eventually found her balance and slowly started walking towards the door. That's when she noticed Donna's presence and stopped.

"Donna-" she breathed out, surprised. "I- um… I'm-"

"It's okay, kiddo." she told her with a smile and came closer, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay. Let's get you home, huh?"

She looked up to Dick then back at her, and smiled.

"Yeah, let's go."

*******

This day just couldn't fucking end.

They came back to the Tower to find it in shambles, windows shattered, glass and bullets laying everywhere, bloody pawprints on the floor turning into human handprints as they went.

Gar and Conner missing.

An organization called CADMUS attacked and took them, Dick found out from security footage. But it happened few hours ago, they had no information on them and Rachel was barely standing on her feet. As much as they hated it, they had to leave it for tomorrow.

Donna sat down alone by the table in the main living area, sipping from a glass filled with whiskey and watching new windows slowly rise up. Fucking Wayne Enterprises technology. Within an hour the place looked like nothing happened. She had spent years living here, yet it still blew her mind.

Her head kept coming back to recent events, analyzing everything that happened. She came to a conclusion that maybe she wasn't being entirely fair towards Dick. Just like Rachel had said, he was only trying to do the right thing. And they were all responsible for what happened to Jericho, she was right about that too.

Dick wasn't the one who ran the blade though Jericho's chest. Slade was. And Dick wouldn't even be there if it wasn't for her almost dying that night.

She finished her drink and put the glass away with a clang. Alcohol gave her enough courage to get up and march to his bedroom door. She needed to talk to him before she loses her resolve and chickens out, like she did in the past.

She knocked once, but there was no answer. So she took a deep breath, grabbed the knob and twisted it, slowly walking inside. She closed the door behind her and stepped in further with his name already forming on her lips but stopped dead in her tracks upon seeing the view in front of her. 

Dick was sleeping peacefully in his bed, cradling Rachel close to his bare chest. The girl was practically melted into him with her face pressed right where his heart was and arms curled around his waist. He held her tight, hands resting on her back and head, with his face buried in her hair. They breathed deeply in perfect sync, their chests rising and falling slowly in unison, dead to the outside world. 

Donna felt a stray tear falling down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away, smiling. Their conversation could wait. Right now this is what he needed, she wasn't going to ruin that.

She turned back towards the door, but stopped a second later, an idea forming in her head. She pulled out her phone and quickly snapped a picture of the the two, capturing this beautiful moment. Smiling at the end result, she thought to herself.

_He's either gonna kill me or thank me for this._

She quietly left the room and closed the door behind her, heading towards her own bedroom. This day really needed to end already and Donna _really_ needed sleep. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! I know, it was a bit long, I got carried away...  
> Ugh, can season 3 arrive already so I can get new ideas? I am dying here...  
> Kudos and comments as always appreciated. Make sure to check out my other fics if you haven't already and come say hi on my Tumblr @not-so-mundane-after-all-97 !  
> SEE YA!


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